Permanent wave hairstyling typically refers to a multi-step process for imparting a long lasting styled pattern of waves or curls to hair. The multi-step permanent wave hairstyling process typically involves the initial washing of the hair and scalp with appropriate shampoo and a thorough rinsing of the hair and scalp with water to remove both the shampoo and the oil and dirt lifted from the hair and scalp by the sudsing action. A permanent wave lotion is then applied to the hair. In particular, the permanent wave lotion is a commercially available caustic chemical that reacts with the hair to permanently accept a specific waved or curled orientation. The hair is then wound onto generally cylindrical rollers with the roller size, number, spatial orientation and rolling direction being selected by the hairdresser to achieve a particular desired hairstyle. The rolled hair is then saturated again with the permanent wave lotion. The hair remains in this rolled and saturated condition for a period of time determined by the specific permanent wave lotion employed and the intended hairstyle. The hair is then flushed with water to remove excess permanent wave lotion and a neutralizer is applied to terminate the chemical reaction of the permanent wave lotion on the hair. The rollers are then removed from the hair, and the hair is rinsed, dried and styled in accordance with the pattern of waves and curls imparted by the above described process.
The hairdresser must be careful to ensure that the hair is not damaged by the caustic permanent wave lotion. For example, direct and extended contact between the permanent wave lotion and the ends of the hair is known to cause frizzing. Similarly, the elastic means used to retain the hair in the rolled condition can cause a permanent mark on the hair if the elastic means directly contacts portions of the hair that have been saturated with permanent wave lotion.
Hairstylists typically employ ends paper to prevent the permanent wave lotion from damaging or frizzing the ends of the hair. More particularly, ends paper is a fine flexible paper that will maintain its structural integrity when saturated with water and permanent wave lotion. The prior art ends paper is sold commercially in small rectangular sheets typically about four inches wide and about three inches long. The hairstylist uses the prior art ends paper by folding the paper in half around its short axis to define a folded sheet approximately two inches by three inches. The distal ends of the hair then are disposed intermediate the folded halves of the ends paper, with the paper extending at least about one-half inch beyond the distal ends of the hair. The hair and the paper then are rolled onto the permanent wave roller.
The prior art ends paper has several disadvantages. For example, as its name suggests, the prior art ends paper is dimensioned to protect only the distal ends of the hair from the frizzing that would otherwise be caused by the permanent wave lotion. However, the prior art ends paper is not dimensioned to protect all of the lotion saturated hair from damage that could be caused by the substantial hair-to-hair contact pressure as the rolling of the hair continues toward the scalp. Furthermore, and importantly, the prior art ends paper has not been designed to protect the portion of the hair near the scalp from the elastic attachment means for retaining the hair in its rolled condition.
The inventor herein has recognized these deficiencies of the prior art ends paper, and has attempted to use several sheets of the prior art small rectangular paper sheets in a partially overlapping end-to-end relationship along the length of the strands of hair being rolled. Thus, a first sheet of the prior art paper would be generally aligned with the strands of hair near their distal ends. This prior art ends paper typically would extend only a small part of the length of the hair. The prior art paper and hair would then be rolled until the end of the first sheet of paper was approached. A second sheet of the prior art rectangular ends paper would then be placed in partially overlapping end-to-end relationship with the first sheet and rolling would proceed. This rolling process would continue, with the number of sheets of prior art paper being generally proportional to the length of the hair being styled.
These attempts to employ the prior art paper along the entire length of the hair were very slow and resulted with functional inefficiency and an unprofessional appearance. In particular, it is extremely difficult to align the prior art rectangular ends paper with the axis of the hair to be rolled. These alignment problems are at least partly attributable to the slippery characteristics of the wet hair, the desire of the hairstylist to move quickly and the short length of the paper. The misalignment of the prior art rectangular ends paper generally results in the hair being wound into a helix with a zero degree pitch and the prior art ends paper being wrapped into a helix with a pitch equal to the angular misalignment between the hair and the prior art paper. Thus, hair at one end of the roller may not be adequately protected by the prior art ends paper while the paper extends beyond the opposed end of the roller and the hair adjacent thereto. This misalignment is functionally undesirable and presents an unprofessional image for the hairstylist.
The prior art has included virtually no attempts to overcome the above described deficiencies of ends paper for permanent wave hairstyling. One reference that did attempt to facilitate the application of ends paper is U.S. Pat. No. 2,087,181 which issued to Conway on Jul. 13, 1937. This reference employs the above described inefficient and undesirable small rectangular sheets of paper for use in hairstyling applications. The reference is directed primarily to a dispensing package that can be clipped to a previously rolled portion of the hair to somewhat facilitate the use of the awkward sheets described above.
In view of the above, it is an object of the subject invention to provide an improved paper for permanent waves and hairstyling.
Another object of the subject invention is to provide a permanent wave paper that can be readily aligned with the hair.
An additional object of the subject invention is to provide a paper that affords adequate cushioning protection to the hair along substantially the entire length of the hair being wrapped onto the roller.
A further object of the subject invention is to provide a permanent wave paper that enables a neater and more professional appearance when in use.
Still another object of the subject invention is to provide a permanent wave paper that achieves optimum protection of the hair without wasting paper.
Yet another object of the subject invention is to provide a permanent wave paper that is readily adaptable to hair of different lengths.
Another object of the subject invention is to provide an efficient dispenser for paper to be used in permanent wave hairstyling.
Still another object of the subject invention is to protect the hair from damage by the elastic means used to retain the hair in the rolled condition.